Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets the press together with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and ROK Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul after attending the 11th China-Japan-ROK Trilateral Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Tokyo, Japan on March 22, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
Top diplomats from China, Japan and South Korea have pledged to strengthen communication and mutual trust, while expanding and deepening cooperation amid complex international situation and sluggish recovery of world economy.
The pledge was made on Saturday at the 11th Trilateral Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Tokyo among Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae Yul.
The three ministers reaffirmed their commitment to creating a positive atmosphere and conditions for the 10th trilateral leaders' meeting.
China, Japan and South Korea agreed to advance regional economic integration, and continue to maintain communication on restarting negotiations for the trilateral free trade agreement, promoting the expansion of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and safeguarding the stability and smooth functioning of regional industrial and supply chains, Wang told a press conference after the meeting.
With a nearly 1.6 billion combined population and total economic output exceeding $24 trillion, Wang said the three countries share a vast market and have tremendous potential for cooperation.
As the opening ceremony of the Year of Japan-China-ROK Cultural Exchange 2025-2026 will be held in Japan in April, Wang said the three countries should strive to achieve 40 million cross-border exchanges by 2030 to consolidate public support for trilateral cooperation.
The three countries will also strengthen cooperation related to the well-being of the people and green, low-carbon development, he added.
Wang noted that the three neighbors have agreed to strengthen coordination under mechanisms such as ASEAN Plus Three and the East Asia Summit, and carry out cooperation with regional countries to promote common development.
Regarding geopolitical issues, Wang called on all parties to face up to the root causes of the Korean Peninsula issue, work toward the same direction, demonstrate goodwill, and strive to form positive interactions in order to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the Peninsula.
At the press conference, Iwaya emphasized the promotion of a future-oriented cooperation, and stressed the importance of knowing each other better, cooperation to shape and protect livelihoods, as well as joint efforts of all generations to tackle common challenges.
The South Korean foreign minister said the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat is a symbol of the cooperation mechanism among Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul.
Taking the signing of the protocol on extending the Secretary-General's term as an opportunity, Cho said he hopes the TCS will actively explore more meaningful projects and play a leading role in promoting trilateral cooperation.
He believes that through mutual trust and mutually beneficial cooperation, the three neighbors could jointly create a more peaceful and prosperous future together, and help heal the wounds of the past.
